The use of particle size distributions in the modeling of combustion systems

✍ Scribed by S. Cooper

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1984
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 807 KB
• Volume: 56
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0010-2180
• DOI: 10.1016/0010-2180(84)90062-2

✦ Synopsis

The number density conservation equation for an evaporating or combusting particle size distribution is derived and solved for a general form of the rate of change of particle diameter. This equation is used to deduce an evolution mean of the distribution which is related to the particular evolution law and describes completely the way in which the total mass of the suspension changes with time. An alternative solution to the conservation equation is in terms of a sum of self-preserving distributions, the form of which is determined by the particular evolution law. It is proposed that the self-preserving distribution provides a powerful approximate method for analyzing combustion systems. It is shown how the theory may be applied to both evaporating sprays and to the combustion of coal char particles. Examples are given of the way in which the self-preserving distributions may be used to represent measured panicle size distributions.